Maine Stores May Soon Be Able to Sell Booze Earlier

Now that mill worker's shifts end earlier in the day at 5am, it would be awful nice to be able to pick up a rack of Bud at the local store at that hour. Soon, they may be able to.

A new bill being presented to the state Legislature by Representative Paul Gilbert of Jay would allow the sale of alcohol for off premises consumption beginning at 5am on most days. The idea was presented to Gilbert by a local store owner who serves many mill workers. In the past mill workers worked three 8 hour shifts, with the shifts ending at 7am. Now most workers in his town work three 12 hour shifts, with the shifts ending at 5am.

Gilbert says, "we are talking about somebody who is getting out of work, they want to buy a six-pack of beer to bring home and they will be able to do that". Gilbert also said that at the moment there is very little opposition to the plan.

Another part of the bill calls for booze to be available for sale until 2am on New Year's Day. Yet another bill being submitted calls for alcohol to be available for sale on Sunday, if that Sunday happens to be St. Patrick's Day, as it happens to be this year.